The band had been stuck in stasis for the better part of a season. Thanks to the crisis with Duchess and her lost puppies, Indigo had become a shell of his former self. He no longer held his head up with confidence nor smiled with the warmth and love that had brought this group of misfits together in the first place. So when their fearless leader fell into a depressed squalor, they were faced with a choice: disband and go their separate ways or stick together and push on. There was no choice in Emersyn's mind. While Indigo continued to exist as a specter of himself, she would take the reins. The band would not dissolve on her watch, not so long as she had a say.

The band had wandered aimlessly northward from the southern continent following Duchess' tragedy until they reached the edge of the great battlefield. Indigo had taken them here with no objective in mind, no goal and no clear path for them. Emersyn's duo-toned eyes narrowed. She'd had enough of this. Taking a stand, Em raised her muzzle to the sky and gave a call for the wayward band to gather. She would take lead of their family in Indigo's stead. Should any of them have any issues with her claim, now would be their chance to voice them and stake their claim.

"Emersyn"

Segin had stuck close to one band member or another throughout this period of time of Duchess' pregnancy and the loss of the pups, occasionally wandering on his own but almost always coming back to Emersyn or Indigo. But despite that it felt like they really hadn't had any direction or purpose for a while now and they were all starting to feel it. He was more willing to just go with the flow and was content as long as he had someone to spend his time with - which Emersyn always did for him - but he was beginning to wonder if they ever should have left The Hallows to begin with. At least there they could all stick together more easily.

As they lingered somewhere on the fringes of the battlefield he heard Emersyn call for them and he looked up, spotting where Emersyn was standing not all that far from him. He had wandered off a bit to collect some herbs he had seen by one of the few trees out here so it only took him a moment to return to her side. He gave her a curious look, but sat beside her and leaned into her shoulder all the same and waited for the others to arrive. He knew the way things had been going had frustrated her much more than it had been him, but he wanted what would make her happy so he was going to support her either way.

Segin Epsilon

Since Indigo's sister and Duchess had demolished the man's pride and mental well being, Gypsy was never far from his side. The tiny wolf did what she could to cheer him up. She made sure that he was eating. Sometimes she brushed out his mane. Little things to let him know that he wasn't alone. And just when he'd begun to improve... Duchess lost her pups. Indigo was struck so low that he could barely car for himself, let alone lead a band. So when Emersyn called for them, Gypsy had a fairly good idea of the reason.

Leaving the goats in Bertha's care, the plum and snow fae made her way towards where Emersyn and Segin sat. Over time, with constant work, Gypsy had become more independent. She relied on others less and less to navigate, despite not being able to see. Her senses were heightened now that she actually had the freedom to use them. It didn't take her long to join the pair. Reaching out with a tiny paw, Gypsy felt for Emersyn, gauging their closeness. With a little smile, she waited to hear what the woman had to say.

Gypsy "Bertha"

**Gypsy's past is full of some extreme abuse. Be warned.**

Indigo may enter any of Gypsy's threads as he sees fit.

It seemed that after the recovery of losing the pups, it left Duchess in worse state than she was after the band found out she had tricked Indigo into pregnancy. Her stomach lost the extra growth from the pups, she was no longer struggling to work for the band. But she wasn't working hard to provide for them anymore. She did hunt, enough to help out so they all could survive, but she was more often going out just to be alone and sulk somewhere else. Losing the pups had taken a huge toll on her life especially after all the trouble she had brought Indigo and the band. But she was starting to resent them all instead of come back together with them. Segin was more attached to Emersyn, Gypsy was more attached to Indigo. She felt like she hadn't felt Indigo's touch in ages. She was feeling like there was no way to mend what she had broke. She still stuck by the rest of the band in the surrounding lands with the occasion she didn't come to camp at night, and she didn't ignore Emersyn when she called for them. Joining them, only Indigo wasn't here yet. The last time they gathered like this seemed to be when Indigo called the trial for her. That's not what she thought was happening though. She sat in an even circle with the rest of them, not too close and not too far, but her gaze reverted down to their paws instead of their faces. Walk "Talk"

He really didn’t know how much time had passed since the pups were lost, all he knew was th gentle touch og Gypsy as she kept him alive through his heartache. Losing Aslatiel was the hardest moment of his life, but losing his children before they were even born destroyed the once proud Fatalis. He was broken, there wasn’t any hope left in his heart. He’d lost the luster in his thick fur, the sharp tone in his muscles, and the joy from his features. He was a shell, empty inside and lost. Pain clenched his chest while the rest of him went numb. Nothing felt like it mattered at all anymore, not the world, not the band, and not him.

There was a faint spark of hope in his eyes when he heard Emersyn’s call for the band. For a long time he thought he would lose her too, after everything that happened he didn’t deserve her loyalty. Indigo knew that she wasn’t doing this for him, he was worthless, but the band was bigger than him. His dream was more than just an idea, more than just his idea. Indigo didn’t move for a long few moments, the massive man had to convince himself to get to his paws.

Maybe his support meant nothing now, but Emersyn had shown her loyalty despite everything he did. Indigo had to get up and show his support for her. If he had the wherewithal to realize fully what was happening, maybe he would have taken steps this direction a long time ago. Indigo’s head was low as his downcast gaze as he approached the group. He looked to each one of them briefly, ashamed to keep their gaze as he lowered himself before Em. She was the savior he never knew he needed, and didn’t deserve in the least. He didn’t deserve any of them.

"Speech"

The band had all gathered to her rallying call. First Segin, sweet and loyal as ever. Second, Gypsy, who had made such incredible strides to be more independent. Third, Duchess, who was little more than a ghost of herself. Lastly, Indigo. Oh, Indigo... If Duchess was a ghost, Indigo was nothing more than a memory of the glory the Fatalis man had once been. How the mighty had fallen to be lain so low. Emersyn regarded the brokenhearted pair with mournful eyes, but kept her walls up. Emotions had gotten her hurt by Indigo in the past. Emotions were what had gotten their band into this mess in the first place. Em would keep her mask back on, the same one she wore when she was ripping limbs and throats in the coliseum. Right now, the band needed strength and stability, and she could be that. She wouldn't let their family break apart. Not like this.

"Ever since the... tragedy, our family has been wayward, adrift without direction, without purpose, without leadership. That ends today." Emersyn had no qualms getting right down to the matter at hand. Indigo had fallen from grace and failed in his duties to the band. She would have to step up and take the helm while the captain was down. "I'll be leading our band to make sure our family stays together. Segin, Gypsy, you've both been the glue that held our family together, and I can never thank you enough for that." Duo-toned eyes turned to look at Indigo and Duchess, focusing in on the littler woman in particular. "Duchess..." Emersyn's voice was harder, but by now, much of the hate she'd held in her heart had burned away into apathy. The problem had dealt with itself for the most part, but that didn't mean Em couldn't feel sympathy for her. "I'm sorry for what you had you endure." She would not kick her from the band, even though she had the power to. That would solve nothing and only bring her down to Duchess' level.

To Indigo, Em said nothing. She simply regarded him with disheartened eyes before she addressed the band as a whole again. "If anyone has anything to say, now is your chance. If anyone wishes to go, I will not stop you. But if we stick together, we can maybe find some of the life we believed in when we first came together. Will you stay?" She left the floor open to her family. They could decide for themselves. Stay, go, or challenge her. Em hoped they would stay. She would bring them down to Auster for the winter, and to plan their next moves. But this had to be their decision. She had been a slave her whole life. She would not force her decisions on another.

"Emersyn"

He remained beside Emersyn while they waited for the others, watching as Gypsy joined, followed by Duchess, and then finally Indigo. He had a soft spot in his gentle heart for each and every one of them no matter what had happened or not happened and seeing Indigo like this in particular broke his heart. His ears flicked back at the sight of him, feeling reminded of how dejected he must have looked when Indigo found them. He leaned more into Emersyn's side as he resisted the urge to go to the former leader of their little family, at least for now. As much as he wanted to comfort Indigo he did understand that they had reached this point because of choices and decisions of Duchess and Indigo and he wanted to give his support first and foremost to Emersyn while she did her best to keep them together.

Emersyn's words were strong and concise and it made him wonder how long she had thought about this before calling them together. She had always been the strongest and most serious among them so he wasn't necessarily surprised, but it did make him lift his silver gaze upward to look at her as she spoke. He smiled softly as she thanked him and Gypsy even though he didn't really feel like he deserved any thanks. He simply did what he could to help the family that had given him so much even if that was just comforting them or spending time with them. He glanced to Duchess when Emersyn gave her condolences for what happened and Segin gave a small nod. Even though he hadn't agreed with what had led them to that point that didn't mean he wished ill will on her or their pups.

He looked back up at Emersyn when she asked if they wanted to say anything and offered them the option to go or stay. "You know I'll stay," he said easily, reaching up to give her cheek an affectionate kiss. There was nothing that could pry him away from his family as long as they intended to stay together. He allowed himself to drift away from Emersyn's side for a bit then, getting to his paws so he could cross to where Indigo was sitting, reaching up to give the larger man's cheek a kiss as well, giving him a loving smile. No matter how things had turned out he wanted to make sure Indigo still knew he cared about him very much.

Segin Epsilon